Attorney General Hanaway Obtains Medicaid Fraud Conviction For Services Not Provided

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) obtained a Medicaid Fraud conviction against Elizabeth Oker, who received payment after submitting false time records to Medicaid for personal care services she did not actually provide to two Medicaid recipients.

“Stealing Medicaid funds alone is egregious, but depriving patients of much-needed services and exposing them to deplorable conditions is unacceptable,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “We will hold accountable anyone putting personal profit over patient care.”

Missouri Medicaid’s Consumer-Directed Personal Care Program allows eligible Medicaid recipients to hire a personal care attendant (PCA) to provide personal care services for them in their home. Elizabeth Oker devised two schemes to defraud Missouri Medicaid by billing for services she did not provide to two recipients, her brother and a family friend.

In an interview with MFCU investigators, Oker’s brother, who was supposed to be receiving care, and niece reported deplorable living conditions in Oker’s house, where the two recipients stayed, including bed bugs, the presence of garbage, an odor later discovered to be dead cats in the house, no air conditioning, and the recipients were often denied clothing and left in only their underwear.

Oker’s brother added that he did not feel safe in the conditions, as Oker would drink alcohol daily and become aggressive. After learning of these conditions, the niece moved Oker’s brother into her home. However, Oker continued to submit timesheets as if she were providing services to her brother.

Oker’s schemes, knowingly depriving recipients of care and submitting claims for services she was not providing, caused Missouri Medicaid to be falsely billed for $4,254.30, and allowed her to steal more than $750.00 in Medicaid funds. The total loss to Missouri Medicaid for the fraudulent claims was $4,254.30.

Oker pled guilty to one count of Healthcare Fraud in violation of RSMo Section 191.905.1 (Class D felony) and was sentenced to pay restitution of $4,254.30 and a civil penalty of $5,000.00, for a total of $9,254.30. The case was referred to MFCU by the Department of Social Services, Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance (MMAC), was prosecuted by MFCU Chief Counsel and Assistant Attorney General Arvids Petersons, and the investigation was conducted by MFCU Investigator Jacqueline Morrow-Kloeppel.

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Chief Counsel Arvids V. Petersons said, “Those who commit Medicaid fraud aren’t just breaking the law; in this case, they are depriving recipients of essential care and putting recipients’ health and safety at risk. We remain committed to protecting the vulnerable and finding justice for victims.”

About the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit:
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s mission is twofold: first, to investigate and prosecute fraud committed by Medicaid providers who unlawfully divert taxpayer dollars, and second, to hold accountable those who commit abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation in Medicaid-funded facilities. This Unit demonstrates the Attorney General’s commitment to protecting vulnerable Missourians and safeguarding taxpayer dollars. The Office is proud to be home to some of the state’s most skilled prosecutors and investigators. Attorneys interested in joining this tradition of excellence and public service are encouraged to explore current opportunities at https://ago.mo.gov/about-us/job-opportunities/.

The Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,551,892.00 for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,183,960.00 for FY 2026, is funded by Missouri.